ICTSI has set up a new company – to be called Tecplata – and, together with Argentine outfit Loginter SA (which will have 25% of the shares in Tecplata), it will operate the new private terminal which is expected to open for business in the first quarter of 2011, although originally it was aiming for late 2010.
Carriers have been complaining for years about the lack of draught and space and the spiralling port costs in Buenos Aires, and Tecplata could provide a cheap alternative to the Argentine capital, as well as less navigation time to the Atlantic.
A spokesman for Tecplata told Port Strategy: “The eventual capacity will be 1m teu but the construction will be carried out in three stages. We have signed up for a 30-year contract in October of 2008 and we are expeting to start operations in the first quarter of 2011.”
Phase One will cost $260m and have a capacity of 650,000 teu per annum.